Spot The Pot - Petition

[pks1702]

For those salt side off the East Coast these can be a menace if not marked properly.

Poorly marked they are a real problem to spot in bad weather, if you do have an encounter it can be costly and potentially life threatening in extreme circumstances.

Another place has a campaign and petition running if you feel like signing it.

More here http://www.motorboatsmonthly.co.uk/spec ... ot-the-pot

http://www.motorboatsmonthly.co.uk/gall ... %20target=

Sign here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/spo ... nthly.html

[Brigid-Mary]

Hello Perry and all

Yes I do agree that these things are a bit of a menace,and most times the fishermen who deploy them are a sensible about the way they are marked. Some however,take a very selfish stance and dont bother to mark them at at all well.

I think the boating press gets a little paranoid about the issue and for the most part, the pot markers just get pushed away from the bow of a boat as it passes and not too much of a problem exists, the problem comes when there is a longish pick up line attached to the mark and this can get caught in the propellor.

We have to remember that the fishermen have as much right to set pots at sea as we have the right to use the sea during our rightful navigation. A bit of dialouge would be more helpful than confrontation.

People get paranoid about them in the daylight- god knows how they deal with the situation at night. I do a good percentage of passage making at night and I dont think about markers as I wouldnt venture out if I was too concerned about them.

I once passed a marker that must have been 3-4 meters high, unlit as they all are, in 5000meters of water in Biscay in the very early hours.

They exist, they are a nightmare, so do, and are, sand banks. Cant think who to send a petition to about the sand bank peril!!

May be down in a couple of weeks

Paul

[pks1702]

Hi Paul

Hope you are well.

I agree Paul, potters have every right to ply their trade I have no wish to curtail this especially as I like to sample the results of their work!

Pots properly marked and without long pick up lines are all I ask of our potting friends.

We have encountered a couple of sets with lines attached from pot to pot this is a real problem.

I can imagine potters saying that there is no need for us to be that close inshore but as you know with winds from SE-NE being 'up the beach' can make for a more comfortable passage.

As for night time I would be well offshore

Give us a shout if you get down our way.

[Antares_9]

They can be a bit of a problem and the non pro part timers tend to be the biggest culprits for poor marking, having encountered all sorts of nightmares including illegal unattended nets with floating headlines I am always careful but not to the extent of paranoia and as has been said the legal guys have every right to have their pots soaking. It's their living and regardeless of how we see ourselves we are after all only out for a play. Knowing a little about where pots are likely to be is a good start, contour lines, spoil ground, holes etc are all marked on charts and can be good places to set pots. A dialogue would indeed be a good place to start, we all have something to learn from each other. As Perry says, give us a shout if you are down Paul it would be good to catch up over a pint or two of the Shipwreck's finest.

[pks1702]

including illegal unattended nets with floating headlines

I had forgotten the one in the Harwich approaches which was very well spotted considering we were surfing down waves with a good wind up our chuff. Being hooked onto that would not have been pleasant in those conditions.